LITTLE ROCK — No conference dominated its classification like the 1-3A did last year.
The conference sent five teams to the Class 3A playoffs, and four of them - Charleston, Mansfield, Lavaca and Cedarville - advanced to the quarterfinals. Charleston and Lavaca moved on to the semifinals, and Charleston wound up rolling over Fountain Lake to win its second state championship in the past four seasons.
Can the 1-3A repeat that type of success this season?
That would be difficult, but it's still hard to find another conference in Class 3A that can match the depth of the 1-3A.
Charleston was 14-0 last season and hammered most teams, outscoring opponents by a combined score of 494-206.
With seven starters back on each side of the ball, Charleston will almost certainly be in the mix again for another state championship this season.
The Tigers will rely heavily on junior running back Ryan McDonald, 5-11, 170, who ran for 936 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore even though he didn't have any carries during the first half of the regular season.
Derrick Haney, 5-10, 160, appears to be ready to follow in the footsteps of the school's previous four quarterbacks, all of whom went on to earn all-state honors, and he should have plenty of options with all-conference tight end Zach White, 6-0, 175, and wide receiver Michael Meador, 6-0, 175, returning.
The Tigers have speed throughout their defense, and all of their key special teams players return.
"We're going in with the attitude that we're No. 1," Charleston Coach Doug Loughridge said. "In play and practice, on and off the field, we've got to be No. 1.
"Everyone is going to try to take down No. 1. The toughest thing to do is be No. 1 and stay No. 1. We're going to have to have guns blazing and do everything perfect to maintain that title."
MANSFIELD
Few teams have improved as much in recent years as Mansfield, which went from one victory in 2005 to nine last season.
Coach Jason Gill is beginning his fourth season at the school and will look to build off the team's 9-4 record last season, which included the school's first two playoff games.
"The kids never stop working for me," said Gill, who returns five seniors who are two-way starters. "That's the key. They kept believing, working hard and doing things right, and they got to see that it paid off."
Defense should be the team's strength. Junior linebacker Casey Polk, 5-11, 225, will anchor the unit, which gave up just 61 points in its final five regular season games. Polk had 133 tackles last season.
Levi Norris, 6-1, 230, is expected to be another key contributor at offensive guard and defensive end.
LAVACA
Lavaca is small and doesn't have much experience - particularly on offense, where only two starters return - but the Golden Arrows are always in the hunt.
If the younger players develop as the coaches hope, they could be in it again this year after going 9-5 last season.
"We've had to replace quite a few players," Lavaca Coach Mark Headley said. "We're going to be undersized, so we're trying to teach them to play fast, get to the football and play physical."
New quarterback Tyler Daniels, 6-2, 180, has looked impressive, and Headley said the team may pass more this year. Running back Travis Michael, 5-9, 155, accumulated more than 1,300 yards of offense last season.
Linebacker Jason Voss, 5-11, 170, returns to lead the defense. A three-year starter, Voss had more than 100 tackles last season.
CEDARVILLE
Cedarville will count even more on quarterback Kyle Bailey this season.
Bailey, 5-10, 180, is a three-year starter and was an all-conference selection last year after guiding the team to a 9-4 finish. He has led the Pirates to 15 victories over the past two years, and he should get plenty of support from a linethat returns four starters.
What the Pirates don't have is depth. Fewer than 30 players are on the roster, which means that if Cedarville is going to get back to the playoffs, the starters must remain healthy.
"We feel like if we can stay healthy, our first 11 are going to be able to compete and we can end up in one of those top four spots," Coach Mike Guthrie said.
The Pirates had the stingiest defense in the conference last year, allowing an average of just 14 points per game. All-conference senior linebacker Blake Morton, 5-10, 205, will lead the unit after making 59 tackles last year.
ELKINS
Elkins had a disappointing finish last year, dropping its final five games and missing the playoffs after starting 5-0.
The Elks need to find a way to establish a running game, something that has been difficult in recent years. But much of the offensive line returns, which should at least give the running backs a chance to get going.
Elkins doesn't have much size on defense, but it will try to compensate with good team speed.
"We should be very fast," Coach Aaron Clark said. "Maybe we're not as big as we have been in the past, but we should be able to get to the ball in a hurry."
GREENLAND
Greenland roared out to a 6-0 start last season before fading down the stretch and finishing 7-4.
With only one starter back on offense and three on defense, the Pirates aren't likely to get off to a start like that again, but a 13th consecutive playoff appearance isn't out of the question.
The Pirates have some proven talent on defense. Adrian Rojas had more than 70 tackles and was an all-conference selection, and Salvador Rojas is back after recording seven interceptions last season.
Greenland will need its defense to hold opponents in check early until the offense can get up to speed.
MOUNTAINBURG
Mountainburg would be happy to forget last season, when itwent from 10 victories in 2007 to a 4-5-1 record, but an inexperienced offense will make it difficult for the Dragons to make the playoffs.
Mountainburg's strength is its defense, which is led by linebacker Trey Stanfill, 6-2, 190. Stanfill, who also doubles as the Dragons' quarterback, led the team with 117 tackles last season.
Look for the Dragons to try to grind it out with their running game and chew up the clock. The unit will be led by senior running back Taylor Nolen, 5-7, 165, who ran for more than 400 yards last fall.
LINCOLN
Lincoln can't go anywhere but up.
The Wolves were 0-10 last season and bring a 29-game losing streak into this season. Lincoln's last victory came in Week 9 of the 2005 season.
On a positive note, coaches around the league were nearly unanimous in voicing their opinion that the Wolves should be improved in their second year under Coach Brad Harris.
Lincoln will be led by speedy running back Bao Nguyen, 5-9, 160, who ran for almost 800 yards last season. Center Ryan Napier, 5-11, 195, is a three-year starter on the offensive line.
Sports, Pages 81 on 08/30/2009